Cause for thanksgiving

Picture this: A young writer, trying to sell her first manuscript, finds herself at a crossroads. Friends and colleagues are telling her that this is her moment. She's found her voice. Her success is inevitable.

But the writer has doubts. She fears mediocrity, or failure. Worse, she feels she can never measure up. Looking around at the great authors who have come before her, she feels paralyzed by inadequacy. Even her best surely can't measure up.

This scenario, of course, isn't unique to her. Almost everyone has dealt with the doubts and fears that threaten to thwart their best efforts – or stop them in their tracks.

Thankfully, there is an antidote. It's expressed by one simple word: gratitude.

Gratitude doesn't necessarily make people think of a higher power. Especially this time of year, even the secular embrace the term; there's nothing specifically religious about feeling grateful.

And yet, gratitude to God transforms thankfulness from mere words to power. At least, it did for the young writer. As a student of Christian Science, she found it natural not to give in to her fears. Rather than crumble, she found herself turning to God.

She'd learned from her study of the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, that God is loving, good, and beneficent. God blesses His creation by equipping each of His children with everything they need to succeed – to manifest His glory.

So she began her prayer by affirming her connection to God and to His goodness. She affirmed that God made her with a distinct purpose. And she acknowledged that God didn't just leave it up to her to find the resources to fulfill that purpose; He also gave her everything she needed to fulfill it. That His gifts included strength and clarity, intelligence, and creativity.

And yet, the fear remained. That's when she felt this prompting: Try gratitude.